


Pass us by and we're just out of view

by lovestillaround



Series: writing from prompts [1]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Exhibitionism, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 16:37:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21479509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovestillaround/pseuds/lovestillaround
Summary: Dan and Phil bathing in a lake at night
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Series: writing from prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1548238
Comments: 15
Kudos: 67





	Pass us by and we're just out of view

There’s something about the night and the darkness that excites him. Maybe it’s because it seems so extraordinary, different than the day, stranger and more mysterious. Maybe Phil just likes dark things.

He looks at Dan who’s walking next to him, at his black shoes, black jeans and black t-shirt, and he smiles at his own thoughts. Right. He likes dark things.

He leans a bit right as they’re walking, to brush Dan’s hand. He could just grab it and hold it, it’s not like there’s anybody else here. It’s probably just the old habit that makes him not do it, some ominous force that stops his hand from reaching a bit further, prevents his fingers from curling around Dan’s.

Dan has been quiet for the entire time since they’ve gone outside, and Phil’s been quiet too, lost in his thoughts. “Are you enjoying the walk?” he asks, just to break the silence. The torch in his hand shakes a little, and for a moment it mostly lights up the bushes around them, not the path.

“It just feels like I’m in Outlast,” Dan answers quietly. 

“Don’t be scared, I’m right here. I’ll protect you.”

“As if you could.”

“I can. You just don’t know my skills,” Phil says, and then starts making some weird fight-imitating gestures with his arms. The light from the torch flashes in every direction as he does it.

Dan just stares at him with a dead expression on his face. “Sure. Okay. Now I feel a thousand times better.”

Phil smiles despite Dan’s sarcastic response, and there’s quite a lot of hubris in his voice when he says, “Good. Sometimes you gotta be more grateful for what a fantastic boyfriend you have.”

“I’ll only be grateful when you actually save me from the demons that are _definitely_ hiding somewhere in those bushes right now.”

“How are you gonna show me that you’re grateful?” Phil changes the subject.

“Phil, we’re not gonna talk about sex in the middle of the forest.”

“It’s not the middle of the forest,” he argues. “It’s just a small patch of trees between the camp and the lake.”

“An even better place to discuss our sex life.”

“I never used the word sex.”

“But that’s what you thought.”

They stop because the path that’s been leading them through the trees ends, and now they’re at the top of the beach.

What they see is beautiful. There are no lampposts, no houses on either side of the lake, there’s just the moon and Phil’s torch that he quickly turns off when he realises that he disturbs the beauty of the scenery, and then there’s only the moon and them, and the gentle movement of dark waters.

“Okay, I like this more than trees,” Dan says, proceeding to take off his shoes and socks. That itself maybe wouldn’t be that abnormal, but when Dan takes off shirt, Phil becomes alarmed.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“Gonna go skinny-dipping.”

Phil grabs Dan’s elbow. “You can’t be serious right now.”

They were only supposed to go for a walk because Phil has been having problems with falling asleep lately. They’ve decided to try out if fresh air and some mild form of exercise like walking would help. Swimming wasn’t something they’ve agreed on. They haven’t agreed on getting naked and jumping into the cold lake like a pair of teens infatuated with each other.

Yet, Dan turns around and looks at Phil with strange intensity. “I am serious.”

Phil steps from one foot onto the other, not really sure what he wants to say or do. “Dan, someone can see you.”

“You. You’re gonna see me.”

Phil swallows, and he still doesn’t know what else to say, so he just watches Dan who throws his t-shirt onto the sand. His jeans follow shortly after. When he puts his thumbs behind the elastic of his boxers, Phil can’t take it anymore and grabs Dan’s wrist to stop him.

“Dan,” he says, because he doesn’t really have any argument.

“It’s alright. It’s so dark, no one will see my dick. There’s no one here anyway.”

“What if someone comes here?”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“Even if, so what if they see me?”

Phil doesn’t answer. He just stands there, conflicted.

“I’m gonna go for a swim, and you can stay here like a loser,” Dan says and turns around.

Phil stops him once again. “Wait.”

They share a look. Well, maybe it’s an exaggeration because Phil can’t really see much of Dan’s face. He quickly gives up on trying to look Dan in the eyes in this darkness and instead glances over his almost naked silhouette, which contrasts with the surface of the lake illuminated by the moon.

For some reason, it’s enough for him to change his mind. He reaches down to grab the hem of his t-shirt and starts undressing himself, pushing all the thoughts about the silliness of what he’s doing into the back of his mind.

“That’s the spirit” Dan says, but then he quickly adds, “You don’t have to do that. I was just fucking with you.”

“I know,” Phil says as he hurriedly takes off his shoes and trousers. He hesitates for a moment before he decides to take off his underwear too. He watches how his cock bobs free, and a rush of adrenaline runs through him because he isn’t really used to doing that sort of thing, getting naked outside where anyone could see him.

He glances at Dan who’s still in his boxers and just stands there observing him.

“That was quick,” Dan says.

Phil steps closer. He’s paradoxically feeling more confident now that he’s naked. “What are you waiting for?”

“Hmm, someone is bossy,” Dan remarks.

“It’s because someone else is a tease.”

Now, that they’re closer, Phil can finally see Dan’s face better. He’s surprised to see so much fondness in his eyes, where he was expecting to see mostly the challenge.

Dan’s voice gets very quiet when he answers, “Always.”

*

They’re only ankles deep into the lake when Phil regrets his decision.

“Ah!” he shrieks. “It’s cold!”

Dan laughs, with this heartfelt laugh that’s loud and genuine. “Come on,” he says, extending his hand for Phil to grab it. The water burbles around his ankles as he walks towards him.

Phil takes Dan’s hand, and can’t help but laugh at the surrealness of this whole thing. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he says. “The last time I’ve exposed myself like this to the world was in Japan.”

“The poor window cleaner!”

Phil laughs and turns around to face Dan. “I’m sure I was more terrified than him.”

“There’s no one else here though,” Dan assures.

Phil starts walking again, slowly moves into deeper waters dragging Dan along with him. It’s hard to adjust to the cold that envelops more and more of his body with every step, and it’s probably only the excitement of doing something new with Dan that makes him continue walking.

“Don’t get too far,” Dan warns when the water is at the level of their waists.

They stop then. Dan releases Phil’s hand from the tight grip and wraps his arms around Phil’s back instead.

Maybe it’s scarier now. They’re covered with water and engulfed in darkness, but they’re so close together, so visible. Phil feels his lip shaking, and he doesn’t know whether it’s from cold or maybe something else.

Dan pulls him closer and kisses him, and Phil forgets about it all. He forgets about the coldness of the lake because Dan’s lips are warm, and he forgets about the fear because Dan’s body is right here, telling him that it’s all alright.

When they pull away, Phil focuses on Dan’s skin, analysing how it looks in this sparse light, trying to engrave the memory of it in his mind.

“You look so pretty,” Dan says, his thoughts apparently going in the same direction. “It reminds me of Jamaica.”

Phil smiles at him, and they stay like this. Water brushes the skin obove their waists with every small wave and they're just embracing each other and looking into each other’s eyes like the Earth's last romantics, until Dan’s hands start slowly sliding lower. “I wanted to do that in Jamaica,” he says.

“Do what? Grab my ass in the ocean?”

“Yeah. Yeah, just that.”

Phil shakes his head, even though he knows that his expression is most likely betraying him. His affection is impossible to hide sometimes, or maybe always.

“Hey, I deserve something for walking through those trees at night,” Dan objects.

Phil huffs a laugh and once again he doesn’t answer. He just pulls Dan in a little closer, and comfortably nestles his face in the crook of his neck.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr post](https://lovestillaround.tumblr.com/post/189149709403/49-62-86-please-any-or-all-whichever-u-wanna)


End file.
